Rose
by TheSecretCannibalisticCreature
Summary: Takes place a little before when Clementine [spoiler] finds Kenny. Seeing Kenny awakened old feelings Clementine had buried after Lee died. With those feelings comes a flow of new ones - all of which point directly at Nick. Clementine's feelings throw her through a loop of uncontrollable events, eventually leading up to the inevitable outcome. Follow Clementine through her journey.


Clementine hated it there.

She hated the smell, the people...they were all so annoying. They were complaining when there were groups starving out in the woods, getting a measly amount of food each week, when they were sitting in a nice cabin with a month supply of food.

As for the smell...since there was no electricity, everyone refused to go to the bathroom in the woods, so the bathrooms were filled with the smell of feces and urine.

Clementine hated everyone except...Nick.

Weird, she knew, but he was the one person who she could actually relate to. Nick had lost Pete, a father figure to him, while she had also lost a father figure - Lee. Even though Nick was acting like a crazy person, that was how she acted after Lee had died. A small feeling inside of her wanted to tell Nick about how she knew how he felt, but she knew he was still at the unstable point in his life - whatever she said to him might result in him blowing up in her face, further helping the groups thought about leaving him.

"Clem, please get us some water." Clementine looked at Luke with a hateful look, uncomfortable with anyone other than Lee calling her by her nickname. She shrugged, grabbing her knife and bucket. Walking to the river, she saw Nick sitting on a log next to the stream.

Clementine walked up to the stream, kneeling down, filling the bucket. Nick cleared his throat. Clementine looked back at him, holding the bucket. Once the bucket was full, she pulled it out of the water, setting it by her feet.

"Oh, hey Nick." Nick nodded, his rifle resting next to his knee. Clementine continued, "Why aren't you with the group?" Nick scoffed. He shook his head, scratching the back of his neck.

Nick responded, "I needed a minute by myself. They're..being kind of overbearing about my attitude." Clementine frowned.

"Oh, I'll go if..." She stood, reaching for the bucket. Nick put a hand on hers that carried the bucket and shook his head.

"Nah, you don't have to leave. You're the only one who hasn't caused me an extreme migraine. Stay." Clementine nodded, sitting down next to him. She silently thanked him. She didn't want to go back to the group. Nick was right - everyone was overbearing and nosy. Clementine sighed, liking the silence. For once, it wasn't filled with whining and screaming.

Looking forward, a flower stood tall. Clementine tilted her head, the flower looking foreign to her. It was red, thorns on its stem. It was beautiful.

Breaking the silence, Nick said, "After everything that has happened, it makes your wonder how something as small as that has survived...this." He sighed,

"Its beauty offers people a getaway..." Starting to talk more to himself, he continues, "It's as if the thorns protect it, serving as a shield to both its beauty and innocent..." He looks at Clementine, "Like you." Clementine tilts her head. Nick explains, "It's a rose. You're manage to preserve your soul, as much as you can, while able to kill walkers, protecting yourself from the horror called reality." He chuckles to himself, "I might just start calling you Rose. I never really liked the nickname Clem...nicknames were made to show your personality, not just an extension to your actual name.

Clementine responded, "I like it. Rose, I mean." She continued and said, "I don't like the nickname Clem...well, only one person called me Clem and now he's gone." She frowned.

Nick said, "Hey, I lost someone too."

"Pete?"

"No, it was someone else...my mother."

Clementine said, "Oh, I'm sorry." Nick nodded.

Breathing in Lee said, "Yeah, her death took a blow to all of us. I've always blamed myself for her death." Clementine cocked her head to the side. Nick continued, "It wasn't because of walkers..." He cleared his throat, "The group was out looking for supplies and I stayed behind to protect her. I...I let her garden. Stupid of me, right? Right in the middle of the apocalypse, and you let your mother garden," he shakes his head, "When I went to get some seeds in the house, Carver," he grit out his name, "he smashed her head in with a shovel. He left her to die. Carver didn't know I was there but...damn it!" Nick stood up, clenching his fists. "It's all my fault!" He growls. Clementine, standing, reached for Nick's hand. He relaxed his hand under Clementine's touch, muttering an apology.

Clementine said, "I've been where you've been, Nick. Yeah, I'm only fourteen, but I've lost someone important too." She breathes in deep, "His name was Lee. He found me when I was alone, and he took me in. When...when he died, I didn't know what to do. I was angry and mournful all at the same time. But I was also angry at Lee for leaving. I even blamed myself...but soon I realized that I could blame myself. It would dishonor him and his death. I realized that I had to become the better person and move on. It took time, but I did it. And if I can do it," she gently squeezed Nick's hand, "I know you can."

Speechless and at a loss of what to do, Nick pulled Clementine into a hug. The second he did that, a spark was lit between their touch. Clementine didn't know what to do - she just couldn't ignore that small squeamish feeling she felt every time she and Nick made contact. Whatever it meant, she knew one thing - she liked it.

* * *

A few hours later, after leaving the cabin and just arriving at the ski lodge, Clementine had climbed the power tower, overlooking the mountains, getting a better view. Nick was talking with Carlos and Alvin, while Luke was watching out for Clementine incase she fell.

"Umph," Clementine reached the top of the power tower. Standing, she walked over to the edge and looked over the mountains. Several lights were shining down near the bridge. Clementine called down to Luke, "I see lights."

"Where?"

"Near the bridge." After a few seconds of no response, Clementine looked down, seeing that Luke had left. Hearing guns cocking on the porch, she looked over and saw Nick and Carlos wielding guns at a group of people, guns also raised. Clementine quickly climbed down, rushing over to the crowd of people.

Carlos' deep voice rang out, "Sarah, get behind me." Clementine pushed her way in front of the crowd, finally able to see who the instigators were. A man pulled a gun at Clementine. Nick grabbed hold of Clementine's shoulder, pushing her behind him.

Enunciating every syllable, he said, "Don't touch her." The man then pointed the gun at Nick. Out of instinct, Clementine reached for and grabbed Nick's arm, stepping up next to him. Suddenly, someone pushed through the opposing side crowd, revealing himself. Kenny. Clementine gasped.

Kenny's eyes widened once seeing Clementine and said, "Clem...Clementine?" Clementine absentmindedly let go of Nick's arm and walked up to Kenny, wrapping her arms around his belly. Clementine's eyes watered.

"Kenny? I...I can't believe you're...you're here." Kenny chuckled, holding back his 'manly' tears.

Kenny said, "Same here, Clementine. 'Didn't think I'd see you again after well...you know." Carlos cleared his voice, making Clementine turn around to face him.

Carlos said, "You know these people?" Clementine nodded. He continued, looking at Kenny, "Kenny, I assume?" Kenny nodded, returning to a serious exterior. Carlos said, "After all of this…" he gestured to his group, "would it be too much to ask to stay here for the night?" Kenny scratched his beard. After a few seconds, he turned to Clementine.

"Clementine, do you trust these people?" Clementine looked down, pondering. Breathing in, she responded.

"I trust them." She softly smiled at Nick.

* * *

A/N: This is my first Walking Dead game fanfic. I hope you like it. This will be a multi-chapter fic.


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